Gun recoil absorbing mechanism



May 27, 1952 e. o. ROCKWELL GUN RECOIL ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Jill 18, 1945 lllllllllllllll 3o 24 22 as 34 Ill lllllllillllllllill 26 2a 24 22 as 34 INVENTOR 0. ROCKWELL Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES @FFIfiE .GUN RECOILABSORBING MECHANISM Gaynor 0. Rockwell, New London, Conn.,assignor to-the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application July 18, 1945, Serial No. 605,649

1 Claim.

This invention relate to a means for absorbing the energy of recoil of a gun or other device. More specifically it relates to such a mechanism for use with a pneumatic gun of the retro-type in which a bomb or smoke float is ejected rearwardly from a. moving aircraft at approximately the same velocity as the aircraft so as to fall substantially vertically. A recoil mechanism is desirable as it permits the gun mount to be made much lighter than would otherwise be possible, although at the same time it is required that the recoil mechanism be kept as simple and light as practical.

An object of the present invention is to provide a recoil mechanism particularly adapted for use with the gun described but which requires less space than the spring type recoil absorbing mechanism previously used therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recoil absorbing mechanism comprising the combination of a light helical spring and a piece of resilient heavy-walled rubber tubing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recoil absorbing mechanism of the type referred to above which is light in weight and of minimum size.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a recoil mechanism including the mounts for the gun;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Fig. 1, the recoil mechanism is represented by two single recoil casing tubes H1 fixedly mounted between end brackets l2 which are in turn secured to a base l4 adapted to be secured to the aircraft or other mount. The gun is carried on two longitudinally movable supports it, one of which is supported at the front and the other near the mid portion of the recoil mechanism.

The recoil casing tubes In (Figs. 2 and 3) are mounted between the end brackets 12 by means of front and rear end plugs [8 which are secured to said tubes and to the brackets by screws as shown, or by any other convenient means. A third plug 20 fixed substantially in the middle of each tube and dividing it into two chambers 22 serves as an abutment for the forward springs.

A sliding block 24 is placed in the forward end 2 of each chamber providing two pairs of aligned blocks. Studs 26 pass through slots 28 in the tubes and enter holes 30 in opposing blocks in the corresponding chambers of the two tubes. These studs carry the gun supports l6 which are held in place by nuts 32.

The recoil absorbing means incorporates conjointly acting steel springs 34 and resilient solid material such as rubber; the rubber being in the form of tubes 33, one such tube serving as a support and guide for each spring. The springs are of the helical compression type, wound upon and. freely slidable over the supplemental rubber springs, which are formed of heavy-walled rubber tubing. At their rear ends the springs, both rubber and helical, bear against fixed abutments furnished by plugs i8, 23, while at their front ends such springs bear against slide block 24, which are fitted for free sliding movement in the casing tubes [6.

When the gun is fired, it moves backwardly under the force of the recoil. This motion is transmitted through the gun support l6 and the studs 26 to the sliding blocks 24. These blocks in turn slide backwardly applyin pressure to the springs 34 and the rubber tubes 36. As the motion starts, most of the resistance comes from the springs and very little from the rubber tubes; but as the motion continues, the rubber tubes become more and more distorted and take more of the load. The recoil motion ceases when the energy of recoil has been used up in compressing the springs and distorting the tubes. The springs and tubes in returning to their normal shape push the gun into the firing position again. This arrangement overcomes a difiiculty previously encountered by reason of the fact that helical springs alone, if strong enough to absorb the recoil of the gun, tend to go solid if large enough wire or rod is used in the springs to resist the recoil forces.

I claim:

A gun recoil absorbing mechanism comprising a base member having longitudinally spaced, parallel upstanding fianges in confronting relationship, a pair of single tubes, laterally spaced, parallel to each other and spanning the distance between the flanges, said tubes having slots in matching positions across the intertube space, a pair of the slots being adjacent to one of the flanges, a second pair of the slots being situated substantially midway of the length of the tubes, a set of three plugs fitted in each of the tubes, the front and rear plugs of each set being fastened to the flanges and having the tubes secured 3 thereto, the third plug of each set being substantially centralized in each tube and secured thereto near the substantially midway slots so as to segregate the pairs of slots to the chamber into which the tubes are thus divided, blocks slidable in the chambers and having connectors emerging at the slots and spanning the intertube space, and shock absorbing means occupying each of the chambers, correspondin ends of all of said means abutting the respective s1id able blocks, the remaining ends of one set of said means abutting the said third plugs and the remaining ends of the other set of said means abutting the rear plugs.

GAYNOR. O. ROCKWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Evans Sept. 22, 1868 Hotchkiss May 20, 1890 Hallquist Nov. 21, 1933 Maury, Jr Jan. 22, 1946 Trimbach June 10, 1947 Green et a1 July 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 26, 1889 Great Britain May 15, 1919 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1925 

